Citroen has found itself in the hot seat as over 120,000 UK motorists are impacted by a defect in their vehicle’s airbags, raising safety concerns and prompting urgent recall calls.
At a Glance
- A “stop-drive” safety alert has been issued for 120,000 Citroën C3 and DS 3 cars in the UK due to a dangerous airbag defect.
- The affected models were built between 2009 and 2017 and are equipped with faulty airbags made by the now-defunct company Takata.
- The airbag inflators can degrade and explode with excessive force, sending metal shrapnel into the cabin.
- The massive recall has overwhelmed dealerships, leaving owners facing months-long waits for repairs.
A “Stop-Drive” Emergency for 120,000 UK Drivers
Approximately 120,000 motorists in the United Kingdom have been told to immediately stop driving their cars due to a potentially lethal fault with the airbags. The urgent “stop-drive” recall was issued by the carmaker Stellantis, the parent company of Citroën, for Citroën C3 and DS 3 models built between 2009 and 2017.
🚨 Extremely rare UK recall for Citroen C3 and DS3 cars 🚨
A potentially deadly airbag fault has caused Stellantis, parent company of Citroen, to issue a rare 'stop-drive' recall, affecting tens of thousands of cars
See what to do if you're affected 👇 https://t.co/wK1L1ekRZF
— Which? (@WhichUK) June 27, 2025
The recall, which initially focused on hotter climates in southern Europe, has now been expanded, creating a logistical nightmare for owners and dealerships across the UK.
The Deadly Takata Defect
The safety issue involves faulty airbags supplied by the now-bankrupt Japanese manufacturer, Takata. This is part of the largest auto recall in history, which has affected more than 100 million vehicles from dozens of brands worldwide and has been linked to multiple deaths and hundreds of serious injuries.
The propellant used in the Takata airbag inflators can degrade over time, particularly when exposed to heat and humidity. This can cause the airbag to deploy with explosive force in a crash, firing metal fragments into the vehicle’s cabin like shrapnel. A recent fatal accident in France linked to the defect has amplified the urgency of the recall.
A Logistical Nightmare for Owners
The massive scale of the recall has completely overwhelmed the repair network. As reported by the BBC, Citroën owners across the UK who have been told not to drive their cars are now being informed that the earliest available appointment for a repair is months away, in some cases not until January 2026.
This has left thousands of motorists stranded without transportation. “It is inevitable, with such a large number of vehicles affected, that customers will be inconvenienced in the short term,” a Stellantis spokesperson said. However, the French Transport Ministry has stated that the situation “raises questions about the risk analyses carried out by the manufacturer,” according to Auto Express. The company is now exploring options like sending technicians to owners’ homes to try and speed up the repair process.
